A viral Reddit post by a woman passenger has reignited public debate about women’s safety and overcrowding in Indian Railways coaches, after she described her train journey as a “nightmare.”
The passenger shared her experience under the subreddit r/IndianRailways, posting an image of an overcrowded 3AC coach aisle and writing, “I’m done with Indian Railways; it’s a nightmare for women passengers.”
She explained that she was travelling with her cousin, who had an exam in another city, and despite having confirmed 3AC tickets, unauthorised passengers had occupied their seats.
“When I asked one person to vacate my seat, he said, ‘Aaj toh adjust karna padega.’ He later called three female friends, and they all squeezed onto my seat,” she wrote.
Her ordeal continued on the return journey. “I was lying down on my seat, clutching my bag,” she recalled, describing the anxiety of travelling overnight in a crowded compartment.
The passenger also raised concerns about the lack of empathy and infrastructure for women travellers.
“Do they not realise that women menstruate and need access to toilets? I didn’t drink water all day because I knew I wouldn’t get a chance to use the toilets,” she said.
She criticised the allocation of exam centres in distant cities despite inadequate transport facilities, calling for better planning by authorities.
Response and Public Reactions
The post quickly went viral, attracting hundreds of comments. Many users sympathised with her and called for stronger enforcement by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and ticket-checking staff.
“Seriously, living in India is like playing on hard mode. As a woman, it’s nightmare level,” one user commented.
Some urged her to report the issue on Rail Madad, the official complaint portal. The passenger confirmed that she had done so, writing:
“We reported that people were sitting in my cousin’s seat. The man immediately moved, fearing a police officer might come. An RPF officer later arrived and asked if the issue was resolved, but didn’t notice multiple people sitting on one seat.”
She also described how overcrowding near train gates and toilets made boarding and deboarding unsafe, alleging instances of inappropriate touching as women tried to get off the train.
A Larger Safety Concern
Her post has once again highlighted persistent safety and hygiene issues faced by women on Indian trains, especially in non-premium classes. Many users called for stricter ticket checks, dedicated women’s coaches, and real-time surveillance to prevent harassment and overcrowding.
While the Indian Railways has introduced measures such as RPF escorts, CCTV surveillance, and women’s helplines, viral incidents like this underline that implementation and enforcement remain key challenges.
Originally published on newsworldstime.com.
Originally published on 24×7-news.com.
